Council May Put The Bite On Dogs

December 12, 1985|By Brian Kaufman, Staff Writer

COCONUT CREEK — A dog may be man`s best friend, but dogs that bite people more than once in this city will be friendless and homeless if the City Council adopts its version of a vicious animal ordinance today.

The ordinance, which was tentatively approved Nov. 14 by all council members, states that dogs or other animals that bite people more than once be forever taken outside the city limits.

``Basically the ordinance was prompted by the number of dog attacks recently reported in the media,`` City Manager Dennis Mele said. ``The city felt it should respond before something happens here.``

City Councilman Ted Thomas said he felt the measure would pass, but that he was disappointed by its content.

``I don`t think it`s strong enough,`` Thomas said. ``I tried to get them to write a pit bull dog ordinance but they said they can`t do it.``

Mele said it is difficult to write an ordinance regulating pit bull dogs because interbreeding makes it hard or impossible to classify some animals.

Mele said under the ordinance, dogs or other animals that are first time offenders - that bite a person for the first time - would have to be muzzled and leashed if taken from the owner`s property. After the first biting incident, the owner of the dog or animal would be warned by certified mail not to take the dog off the property without leash or muzzle.

After a second biting incident, Mele said, a city code enforcement officer shall take action against the owner to have the dog or animal removed.

The ordinance also makes it illegal to keep more than four agricultural animals - defined by the city as horses, cows, pigs, sheep - or wild animals in a residential area.

City Clerk Angela Bender said wild animals are defined by the city as ``animals not domesticated and not under control or ownership of a person.``

The City Council today also will give preliminary consideration to an ordinance that would allow developers making a ``substantial public improvement`` in the city to burn debris.

Mele said the measure is an enabling ordinance that allows, on a case by case basis, for the city to consider requests by developers to burn debris.

The city would enter into an agreement with the developer, Mele said, with burning privileges to be revoked by the city if certain conditions aren`t met.